The Atlantic

Jimmy Fallon Tries to Take On Trump

The <em>Tonight Show</em> host, long derided for his lack of hard-hitting political material, is struggling to stay relevant in 2017.
Source: NBC

For the first time since he took a late-night hosting job in 2009, Jimmy Fallon seems on rocky ground. His , which has led in the ratings almost every week since he took it over, is suddenly falling behind Stephen Colbert’s . Fallon’s brand of celebrity and pop culture-focused comedy, which leans on jubilantly silly games and sketches, suddenly seems out of step with a moment dominated by political news. Worst of all, his YouTube views—a behind rivals like Colbert and Trevor Noah (though he still has a significant subscriber edge).

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